Pressing apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A pressing apparatus is disclosed in which a garment support is movable between two horizontally-displaced positions, i.e. a dressing position in which a garment is initially placed on the support and later removed from it, and a pressing position in which the garment is supported for pressing engagement by one or more movable pressing plates. The pressing plates are movable between retracted and pressing positions, and preferably also to an intermediate steaming position. The movable garment support includes an upwardly extending center buck having sides against which the downwardly extending legs of a garment are adapted to be initially dressed and then pressed, in combination with a garment waist support mounted above the center buck for relative movement between an upper loading position and a lower dressing and pressing position. The device further includes a plurality of safety means effective both individually and in combination to insure the desired sequence of movement of the various parts, and such safety means may also include timing or sequence control means for automatically controlling certain portions of a pressing, steaming or other treatment cycle. Selective presteaming controls are provided. The garment waist support preferably includes improved features for convenient mounting of a garment waist portion in a manner which facilitates suitable alignment of the desired front crease locations of such a garment with the front edges of two laterally-spaced buck portions which form part of the garment support. The waist support also includes movable seat wings for smoother dressing of the garment. The seat wings retract during steaming and pressing. Improved cuff holders on the garment support hold the garment during dressing and movement to pressing position, but retract at the start of steaming. An improved supporting and alignment mechanism for a movable pressing plate is also disclosed.

United States Patent [191 Remiarz 1' March 6, 1973 PRESSING APPARATUSAND METHOD 7 [75] Inventor: Dan B. Remiarz, Brooklyn Center,

Minn.

V [73] Assignee: The Unipress Company, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. 221Filed: March 4, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 121,027

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,415,430 12/1968 McMillan..223/73 3,208,652 9/1965 Zimmermann..... ...223/73 3,525,459 8/1970Buckley et a1 223/73 3,502,250 3/1970 McMillan 223/73 3,556,361 l/197lO'Boyle ...223/73 3,503,545 3/1970 McMillan ..223/57 PrimaryExaminer.lordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-Geo. V. LarkinAttorney-Frederick E. Lange, William C. Babcock and Eugene L. Johnson[57] ABSTRACT A pressing apparatus is disclosed in whicha garmentsupport is movable between two horizontally-displaced positions, i.e. adressing position in which a garment is initially placed on the supportand later removed from it, and a" pressing position in which the garmentis supported for pressing engagement by one A or more movable pressingplates. The pressing plates are movable between retracted and pressingpositions, and preferably also to an intermediate steaming position.

The movable garment support includes an upwardly extending center buckhaving sides against which the downwardly extending legs of a garmentare adapted to be initially dressed and then pressed, in combinationwith a garment waist support mounted above the 1 center buck forrelative movement between an upper loading position and a lower dressingand pressing position. The device further includes a plurality of safetymeans effective both individually and in combination to insure thedesired sequence of movement of the various parts, and such safety meansmay also include timing or sequence control means for automaticallycontrolling certain portions of a pressing, steaming or other treatmentcycle. Selective presteaming controls are provided.

The garment waist support preferably includes improved features forconvenient mounting of a garment waist portion in a manner whichfacilitates suitable alignment of the desired front crease locations ofsuch a garment with the front edges of two laterally-spaced buckportions which form part of the garment support. The waist support alsoincludes movable seat wings for smoother dressing of the garment. Theseat wings retract during steaming and pressing. lr nproved cu'ffholders oii'the "garment support hold the garment during dressing andmovement to pressing position, but retract at the start of steaming.Animproved supporting and alignment mechanism for a movable pressing plateis also disclosed.

36 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR 6% 3,719,311

' sum 30F e V INVENTOR. Dan B. Remiarz jk 052M PATENTED 51975 SHEET 6 OF6 M 1 7Z 2 0 2 I. 7 0 m m a m 22 MW 2 A m Tim; M

INVENTOR.

Dan B. Remiarz BY Aime/146V PRESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION Pressing machines are known in which a garment may besuitably positioned in the apparatus, after which desired garmentportions, such as the lower garment portions or the upper garmentportions or a combination of such lower and upper portions may then besuitably pressed. Some of the devices, particularly those designed forthe pressing of trousers or similar I with the trouser waist above thetrouser legs, such prior machines have had their primary application totrousers of the so called washed or laundered type. Thus there has beenan apparent need for a convenient and efficient upright pressing machinewhich is particularly suitable for convenient dressing and pressing,with or without steaming or other auxiliary treatment, of garments whosefabrics are generally cleaned by known dry cleaning processes ratherthan laundry methods.

Moreover, although pressing machines are known in which one or morepressing plates move back and forth between retracted and pressingpositions, such prior devices have ordinarily maintained the plates inpositions essentially parallel to the surface against which a garment isto be pressed. Either this parallel alignment has been maintained duringmovement of the plates between retracted and pressing positions, orcomplicated and expensive lever arm and linkage supports have beenrequired to provide special desired variations from such a parallelorientation or from a straightline path of movement. In some cases thisvariation has been achieved by supporting a pressing plate on spacedlever arms or swinging support members which can move different portionsof a pressing plate in somewhat different paths and over differentdistances. Once a given machine is designed for a particular path ofmovement of its pressing plate, however, variations or adjustments inthat path are difficult or require complex linkage arrangements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one important feature of thepresent invention, an improved pressing apparatus is provided in which agarment support is movable between an inner pressing position, in whichthe garment support is located close to at least one pressing plate orbetween a pair of pressing plates, and an outer dressing position whichis horizontally displaced from the pressing position and is located forconvenient mounting and positioning or dressing of a garment on thesupport prior to movement of the support to pressing position andsubsequently for convenient removal of the garment from the supportafter the support returns from such pressing position.

To facilitate the proper positioning of a garment on the support, themovable support includes an upwardly extending center buck having sidesagainst which the downwardly extending portions of the garmentareadapted to be dressed and subsequently pressed. These sides of thecenter buck are preferably inclined with respect to each other, so thatthey are close together at the top of the center buck and spaced fartherapart near the bottom of the center buck. Thus the depending ordownwardly extending garment portions can be positioned on the inclinedsides and held there in part by the effect of gravity.

The movable garment support further includes a movable support headpositioned above the center buck. This support head is movable betweenan upper loading position, in which a garment portion, such as the waistof a pair of trousers, can be readily secured to the support head frombelow, and a lower dressing and pressing position in which the waistsupport head is located closely adjacent to the upper edge of the centerI buck, so that the garment will be jointly supported by both theupright center buck and the upwardly and downwardly movable waistsupport head. The combination of apparatus features just discussed thusprovides for an operating sequence in which the garment support isoriginally located at its outer dressing position and the movable waistsupport at the top of the garment support is in its upper loadingposition. The waist portion of a pair of trousers is then convenientlymounted manually by an operator on the upper waist support, after whichthe waist support is moved downwardly to its lower dressing and pressingposition immediately above the center buck. In that position thedownwardly extending trouser legs can be properly dressed, i.e.positioned smoothly against the sides of the center buck with the legside seams aligned for proper pressing.

The entire garment support, including both the center buck and thedownwardly positioned waist support head can then be moved horizontallyas a unit from the outer dressing position to the inner pressingposition in the machine. Improved cuff holders are positioned andoperated to hold the legs in dressed position while the garment supportmoves to pressing position. After the garment support reaches thepressing position, the pressing plates are moved from retracted positiontoward the center buck to start a pressing cycle. The cuff holders aredisengaged and retracted prior to final steering or pressing.

According to a further feature of the invention, the pressing platesfirst move from fully retracted position to an intermediate position inwhich they are spacedonly slightly outwardly from the center buckvDuring this movement of the pressing plates from retracted tointermediate position, the invention also provides means for momentarilyintroducing air to the inside of the trousers through the upper waistportion on the waist support and thus inflating the garment sufficientlyto eliminate undesired folds or wrinkles just before the pressing platesreach intermediate position. The apparatus further includes steamconduit means for introducing steam inside the waist portion of thegarment and also directing steam through the side pressing plates andcenter buck toward the depending leg portions of the garment, while thepressing plates are in intermediate position. The provision of steamingmeans at this position, and the provision of control means forselectively presteaming the waist portion or leg portions, or both,while the garment support is in dressing position, are particularlyadapted for the processing of fabrics of the dry cleaning type.

.The apparatus includes timing or sequence control means forpreselecting and maintaining the desired time periods for the respectiveintermediate steaming and final pressing steps. At the end of thepressing step, the pressing plates are moved from pressing to fullyretracted positions. The garment support including both its center buckand waist support portions then moves as a unit from the inner pressingposition to the outer dressing position, at which point the waistsupport then moves upwardly to facilitate convenient removal of thegarment from the apparatus. At this same time, the cuff holders moveupwardly and are latched in upper position ready for the next loadingand dressing operation.

The upright center buck of the garment support is further provided withsuitably perforated sides and with interior suction conduit means sothat air can be drawn inwardly through the center buck sides. Suchsuction is maintained from the time the garment support starts to movefrom dressing position throughout movement of the garment supportinwardly to the pressing position and back to dressing position. Thusthe suction effect can assist the gravity effect in holding the garmentportions in the position in which the operator has dressed them on thecenter buck throughout movement of the garment support from dressing topressing position and back from pressing to dressing. The suction ispreferably interrupted, however, during the steaming portion of thecycle while the pressing plates are in their intermediate position. Thesuction effect is finally terminates as the garment support againarrives at its outer dressing position, prior to the upward movement ofthe waist support for removal of the garment.

The invention also includes improvements in the waist support headportion of a pressing machine to facilitate the proper alignment of thedesired crease edges with appropriate parts of the apparatus. Specifi-Cally such an improved waist support includes two spaced front waistsupporting or buck portions which provide front crease supports spacedfrom each other at their forward edges. The waist support also includesa forwardly and rearwardly movable rear waist support member with meansto urge it rearwardly while the waist portion of a garment is beingpositioned around the front bucks and the rear waist support.

Before a garment such as a pair of trousers or shorts is placed on thewaist support, the customary fly portions of such a garment are securedtogether in normal fashion and these secured fly portions will beinitially positioned across the space between the two frontwaist buckportions. The waist support head further includes a movable flypositioner which is adapted to move from an initial forwardly retractedposition toward a selectively adjustable rearward position in which thefly positioner pushes and holds the secured fly portions of the garmentrearwardly between the center buck portions. The extent of rearwardmovement of the fly positioner will be controlled in accordance with thelocation of the desired front creases of the garment, so that theportions of the garment aligned with the desired creases will bepositioned at the front crease supports provided by the front edges ofthe spaced front waist bucks. Thus, depending on the relative waistmeasurement of the garment in question, the fly positioner may have tobe pushed rearwardly to a greater or lesser degree just to the pointwhere the desired crease alignment is achieved. During this adjustmentof the fly positioner, the rear waist support member is urged rearwardlywith just sufficient force to maintain the waist portion under mildtension. However, this force is light enough to permit forward movementof the rear waist member and rear waist portion of the garment inresponse to the rearward movement of the fly positioner and the flyportions of the garment during the alignment step. Thus'the garment willbe held in position on the waist support, while the operator canconveniently control the location of the fly positioner moving itforwardly or rearwardly by hand as needed to secure the desired creasealignment.

The rear waist support member preferably includes a movably mounted rearseat wing, with operating or control means to urge it rearwardly toextend and hold the seat of a garment during dressing thereof and duringmovement of the garment support to pressing position. The seat wing isretracted at the start of steaming to avoid undesired marks or creases.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of an improvedsupport and alignment mechanism for the side pressing plates of such aunit. This supporting and alignment mechanism includes a movable supportmember which is pivotally connected to one portion of the pressing plateand is adapted to move that portion of the pressing plate along adesired path between pressing and retracted positions. The desiredrelative orientation of the plate during such movement is thendetermined and controlled by at least one flexible cable portionconnected to the pressing plate at a point spaced from the pivotalconnection of the support member in the direction extending laterallyaway from the axis on which the support member is pivoted to the plate.Preferably two cable portions are provided at opposite sides of thepivotal axis. Such cable portions are resiliently urged, for example byspring means or other force applying means, so that the cable portions'are pulled in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of thepressing plate and in a direction which urges the plate outwardly frompressing position toward retracted position. The relative movement ofsuch a cable portion is then coordinated, in effect, with the extent ofmovement of the support member so that the orientation of the plate mayeither be maintained parallel to its pressing position at all times asit moves toward retracted position, or alternatively, so that theorientation changes in desired manner as the plate is retracted. In thepreferredform of this improvement,

the construction includes rotatable cable control memdistances. Thus,for example, when the pressing plate is to be pressed against adownwardly and outwardly sloping center buck portion in the pressingposition, the upper portion of the pressing plate can be moved outwardlya greater distance than the lower portion of the plate during movementof the plate from pressing to retracted position, to provide greaterclearance for prior or subsequent horizontal movement of the upperportions of the garment support.

Thus the various features of the present invention, both individuallyand in combination, provide improved pressing apparatus constructionhaving a unique combination of parts and in which the relative positionsof such parts can be controlled in desired sequence to provide animproved pressing cycle. The apparatus and method are particularlyuseful in the processing of garments made of fabrics of the so-calleddry cleaning type.

For convenience, the term trousers is primarily used herein in thedescription of the apparatus and its method of operation. It will beunderstood, however, that the invention is not strictly limited in itsapplication to garments which fit the literal definition of trousers andthat this term is used in a broader sense to include not only menstrousers, but mens or ladies slacks, so-called bermudas, culottes,pajama bottom portions or other garments which might be consideredequivalent thereto in the sense that such garments could be convenientlypressed by use of the apparatus or method features of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which form a part ofthis invention, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred pressing apparatus accordingto the invention, illustrating the relative horizontally spaced dressingand pressing positions of a movable garment support and its associatedparts;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation, with certain parts broken away andcertainparts shown in section, of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view similar to FIG. 2 showing one of the pressingplates in fully retracted position and showing its intermediate positionin dotted lines;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the rotary cable control memberat the lower left of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5.is a partial perspective view of the garment supporting head inits upper" loading position;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5illustrating the first step in the method of aligning the waist portionof the garment on the support head;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 6 illustrating further steps inthe alignment of the garment waist portion;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of pneumatic valves and connections forfeeding compressed air to the various air cylinders which serve as motormeans to operate the different parts of the apparatus in propersequence;

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing the operative connections among thevarious valves and other operating parts, including appropriateswitches, contact relays, timers and connecting wires for a preferredsequence of operating steps;

FIG. 11 is a partial view, similar to FIG. 1, of a preferredmodification of the device of FIG. 1, embodying improved cuff holdingand retractable seat wing members according to the invention; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged partial view, with some parts broken away andothers shown in section, showing details of the double air cylinder andpiston arrangement for the cuff holding mechanism of FIG. 1 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred pressing apparatusaccording to the invention is shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2. Theapparatus includes a frame 20 made up of suitable frame members andsupports. At one side, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a bottom framemember 21 extending from the front to the rear of the machine, i.e. fromleft to right in the drawing. A rear supporting post 22 and anintermediate supporting post 23 extend upwardly to a top frame member 24to define that portion of the machine which includes the inner pressingstation at which the garments are to be pressed. A vertical frontsupport 26, connected to the front of the main bottom frame 21 and alsoconnected by an upper frame member 27 at an intermediate height to thevertical frame portion 23, generally defines a forwardly or horizontallydisplaced outer dressing station, at which garments to be pressed may bemounted on the machine and removed from it.

Similar frame members on the opposite side of the machine, i.e. at theleft side as one would face the machine during loading and unloading ofgarments, are appropriately connected to the right side frame portionshown in FIG. 1 by cross frame members such as upper member 28 and lowerfront cross member 29, to complete the body frame. Supporting tracks inthe form of longitudinally-extending cylindrical members 31 extend fromthe front frame 26 to a corresponding rear cross frame member. Thesetracks support a movable garment support for horizontal movement betweendressing and pressing positions, i.e. the respective left-hand andright-hand positions in FIG. 1. The garment support has a base member 32provided with suitable rollers or other means for engaging the tracks 31during such movement.

Base 32 of the movable garment support carries at one side a suitableshock absorber having a lever arm 34 (FIG. 2) pivoted at 36 for rotationon a transverse axis. Rotation of arm 34 is permitted, but resisted bysuitable connections with a piston in the shock absorber cylinder 37secured to support member 32. The upper end of arm 34 carries a contactroller 38 which engages front and rear stops 39 and 41 as the garmentsupport approaches its forward or dressing position on the one hand, orits rearward pressing position, on the other. A spring 42 may also beconnected between a stationary portion of the shock absorber and aportion of arm 34 to provide means to return arm 34 to its mid position,before it is deflected at the extreme ends of the movement of thegarment support.

Movement of the garment support between its dressing and pressingpositions is provided by suitable motor means, illustrated as an aircylinder 43 with an interior piston having a piston rod 44 connected toa downwardly projecting bracket portion 46 on the garment support base42. Thus, selective admission of air to one end or the other of cylinder43 provides pressure for moving the piston and the garment support unitas a whole from one position to the other at the desired times during anoperating cycle. Appropriate air control valves may be individuallyconnected and operated in novel manner to provide the particularsequence of operating steps involved in the present invention.

The garment support further includes an upright center buck designatedgenerally as 47, which includes one or more vertical support members 48secured to the horizontal portion 49 of the bracket 46 secured to member32. The center buck has two side faces 51 which are provided withperforations S2 for passage of a desired treating fluid. Behind surfaces51, an intermediate plate 326 defines a thin chamber 327 into whichsteam may be fed at 192 for steaming the insides of garment portionsdressed on surfaces 51. Further wall members 328 behind plate 326 definea pressurized steam chamber 329 through which high pressure steam orother heating fluid is constantly circulated to heat the center bucksurfaces to the desired degree. When steam is used to heat chamber 329,the steam used for steaming the garment can be taken from chamber 329 bya control valve to opening 192 in steaming chamber 327.

A suction connection is also provided at 196 in the interior of thecenter buck and communicates with chambers 327 through openings 331 inintermediate plates 326 at locations between heating chambers 329. Whensuction is applied at 196 by operation of a suction control valve, thesuction through openings 52 holds a garment in position against centerbuck sides 51 and assists in drying the garment at the proper time in apressing cycle.

Side surfaces 51 are inclined outwardly and downwardly from a relativelynarrow vertex or apex 53 to a somewhat broader base portion 54. Thus thedownwardly and outwardly sloping sides 51 of the center buck 57 aredesigned to accommodate the depending portions of a garment, such as thelegs ofa pair of trousers, with one leg on each side of the center buck.The effect of gravity tends to help hold the downwardly extendinggarment portions in the desired position for pressing, after the garmentportions have been appropriately dressed, i.e. smoothed out in pressingposition on the center buck. The perforated side walls 51 of the centerbuck are covered with one or more layers of porous fabric or othermaterial to provide a pressing surface against which the dependingportions of a garment whose fabric is adapted for dry cleaning may besuitably pressed. As seen in FIG. 1, the upper edge of the center buckhas a depressed or slightly lower central portion 58 longitudinally ofthe buck with relatively higher forward and rearward upper edges at 59and 61. The front edge 62 and rear edge 63 is secured by a bracket 67 toone of the vertical center buck members 48. Member 48 is rigidly securedat 69 to the supporting bracket 49 of garment support base 32.

The upper end of post 66 carries a pivotal connection at 71, to serve asmounting means for the movable of the center buck are spaced somewhatfarther apart waist support unit designated generally at 72. The axis ofpivot 71 extends generally horizontally, transversely of the path ofmovement of the garment support, at a location which is near the inneror rear upper edge of the center buck 47. The waist unit includes avertically extending portion 73 of an L-shaped bracket which has ahorizontally and forwardly extending portion 74. The latter in turncarries a forwardly projecting buck supporting portion 76 on which afront waist support or buck 77 is mounted. According to one feature ofthe invention, the waist support includes two transversely spaced frontwaist support portions 77 and 78 (FIG. 5 which have front edges 79 and81 respectively, which are designed for ultimate engagement with thosefront portions of a garment which are to be in alignment with the frontedge creases formed in the depending garment portions to be pressedagainst center buck 47.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the spaced front waist buckportions 77 and 78 have inwardly facing surface 82, between which thefront waist portion of a garment is adapted to be positioned at aselectively variable location rearwardly of the front edges 79 and 81 ofthese bucks. To hold the front garment waist portions at the desiredlocation between surfaces 82, the apparatus includes a fly positioningmember 83, carried at thelower end of a lever arm 84 pivoted at 86 tosuitable brackets on an upper housing 87 on member 76.

The location of fly positioning member 83 may be controlled manually byan operator during initial positioning of a garment on the waistsupport. An. overcenter or toggle spring member resiliently holds member83 in either its outer loading position or its inner fly holdingposition when the operator has manually moved the member to the desiredposition.

Above supporting pivot 86, the upper end of lever arm 84 is pivotallyconnected at 88 to the piston rod 89 connected to a piston slidablysupported within an air cylinder 91, which has its'rearward endpivotally 'supported at 92 on the housing 87. Controlled admission ofair of appropriate pressure tov the rear end 'of cylinder 91 during thefinal pressing cycle thus provides auxiliary power means which urges thefly positioning member 83 firmly toward the rear of the waist supportunit and holds the front garment portions in smooth, unwrinkledcondition between the front waist bucks 77 and 78 during final steamingand/or drying.

According to another feature of the invention, the fly portions of apair of trousers are first fully buttoned, beforethe trousers are placedon the supporting head. The fly positioning member 83 will be pushedagainst the overlapping fly portions to push them rearwardly between thefront waist supports 77 and 78 until the desired front waist portionswhich correspond to the. front creasesof the trouser legs positioneddirectly over the front edges 79 and 81 of bucks 77 and 78. During thisadjustment, the rear waist portion of the garment will be urgedresiliently to the rear by a movable rear supporting member.

To engage and support the rear portion of the garment, a movable slidemember 93 is mounted for movement between forward and rearward positionson the supporting bracket 74 and member 76. Slide 93 carries a dependingrear waist support member 108, around which the rear of the garmentwaist is designed to be engaged and supported and urged to the rear bysuitable moving means.

Slide 93 has a pair of depending projections 94, one at each side of theslide. A connecting link 97 has its forward end pivotally connected at96 to projection 94, while its rearward end is pivoted at 98 to theupper end of a relatively long actuating arm 99. The lower end of arm 99is keyed to a transverse shaft 101, so that rotation of the shaft in aclock-wise direction (in FIG. 1) will move the upper end of arm 99 tothe right and thus toward the rear of the machine. This movement willpull the rear waist support 108 to the rear and thus pull the reargarment waist portion rearwardly under mild tension, while the frontwaist portion is tensioned around the front edge of the waist bucks 77and 78.

The desired force to resiliently urge arm 99 and support 108 toward therear of the waist support is provided by an actuating arm 102 which isalso secured to cross shaft 101 and which is pivotally connected at 103to the piston rod 104 of an air motor means, whose cylinder is shown at106. The upper end of air cylinder 106 is pivotally connected at 107 toa bracket carried by the vertical post 66. Thus, when a predeterminedair pressure is connected to the upper end of cylinder 106, lever arm102 is driven in a clockwise direction, and actuating arm 99 pulls theslide 93 and rear waist support 108 toward the rear of the waistsupporting head.

The relative location and arrangement of the parts is such that leverarm 102 is relatively short compared to the relatively long actuatingarm 99. Thus only a fraction of the total force applied by the aircylinder 106 to the end of lever arm 102 will be effectively transmittedto the slide 93 to urge the support 108 to the rear. Moreover, theprovision of transverse shaft 101, in combination with two actuatingarms 99, one at each of the respective sides of the garment supportunit, makes it possible to actuate the longitudinally movable rear waistsupport 108 with a minimum of operating parts on the tilting headportion 72 itself. The intermediate link 97 serves a double purpose. Itkeeps the upper ends of actuating arms 99 spaced rearwardly out of theway, while dressing garments on the machine. It also provides a linkagewhich permits tilting movement of the waist supporting head 72 on pivot71 between the upper loading position shown in dotted outline at theleft or forward end of the machine in FIG. 1 and the downwardly locatedpressing position shown in heavy lines at the right portion of FIG. 1,where the garment support is shown in its pressing position within theframe 20. At the same time, the air cylinder 106 is securely supportedon the vertical rear post 66, so that its weight need not be added tothemovable tilting head portion 72. Thus the linkages 97 and 99 providea sort of universal connection between the rotary driving shaft 101 ofthe waist expanding mechanism and the rearwardly and forwardly movableslide member and rear garment support portion 108 of the supporting head72, for applying force to the waist support member in both the upperloading position and the lower dressing and pressing position of thewaist supporting head.

The motor means or power source for movement of the garment supportinghead or topper from its lower' lower dressing and pressing position tothe upper loading position shown in dotted outline at the left portionof FIG. 1. When such air pressure is relieved, the topper 72 will dropdownwardly under the influence of gravity. The air pressure in cylinder111 is controlled so that the upward and downward movement of the topper72 always takes place in the desired sequence while the garment supportunit is in the left-hand dotted line position of FIG. 1. Thus, at thestart of a pressing cycle, the cylinder 1 1 1 is energized to raise thetopper unit 72 for initial mounting of the waist portion of a garment tobe pressed. When the waist portion is suitably mounted with theappropriate alignment for the front crease edges, operation of asuitable control member by the operator relieves the pressure incylinder 111 and permits the waist supporting head unit 72 to drop tothe dressing and pressing position. In that position, the depending legportions of the trousers to be pressed can be smoothed downwardly alongthe side 51 of the center buck 47. When the dressing of the garment iscomplete, the operator can then actuate a suitable control member tostart the pressing cycle, during which the various parts will beoperated in controlled sequence by novel timing and circuit means.

The first step in such pressing cycle is the movement of the entiregarment support unit from the left-hand dotted line position of FIG. 1to the right-hand solid line position, where the garment support will belocated between the main pressing plates. When this movement of thegarment support is complete, the upper housing 87 of the topper, whichhas an open rear end at 117, will be placed in communication with ablower unit secured to the main frame. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, theupper housing portion 87 of the topper supporting head 72 is wider thanthe lower portion and is connected by a tapering section 118 to the areabetween the tops of the front waist bucks 77 and 78. A suitable opening119 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 8) provides communication from the housing portions87 and 118 to the interior of a garment supported on the head 7 2.

The open rear end 117 of casing 87 has a flange 121 for sealingengagement with the forward end 122 of a blower conduit, when the partsare in the pressing position at the right-hand portion of FIG. 1.Conduit portion 122 is connected by section 123 to the outlet conduit124 of a centrifugal blower 126. An electric motor 127 is connected by abelt drive 128 to the shaft 129 of the blower (FIG. 2).

A suitable baffle member shown schematically at 131 is associated withthe blower conduits to control the passage of air from the blower 126 tothe conduit section 122 and topper housing 87. The baffle is moved fromoperative to inoperative position by a rotary shaft 132 supported inbearings 133. A lever arm 134 on the lower end of shaft 132 is pivotallyconnected to the piston rod 136 of a baffle air cylinder 137 secured toa rear crossmember of the frame. When baffle cylinder '137 is operatedin one direction, air from the blower 126 is directed through theconduit 122 past suitable heating coils 138 and through the housing 87into the inside of the garment mounted on the support head 72. Reverseoperation of baffle 131, either by the air cylinder or by a returnspring, cuts off the heated flow of air at the desired time in thecycle.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, another feature of thepresent invention is the provision of anv improved supporting andoperating mechanism for the main pressing plates which are adapted topress the garment against the sides 51 of the center buck when the partsare in the right-hand or solid line position of FIG. 1. Pressing plates141 and 142 on the respective right and left sides as one faces FIG. 2have generally flat pressing plate surfaces substantially co-extensivewith the side faces 51 of the center buck. Each plate has surfaceopenings 321 through which steam may be fed from a chamber 336 formedjust behind the pressing surface by an inner wall 337. When the outergarment surfaces are to be steamed, steam is admitted through chambers326 from a steam delivery tube 322 connected to a steam supply throughsteam control valves (not shown) controlled by pistons 317 of aircylinders 316 (FIG. 9). Each pressing plate 141 and 142 also has aheating chamber 338 between inner wall 337 and a rear casing or backingplate, 143. Pressurized steam or other heating fluid is constantlycirculated through chamber 338 by connections 339 and 341 to maintainthe desired temperatures for the heated pressing plates in known manner.

Each pressing plate has a main supporting bearing 144 at substantiallythe central portion of the pressing area. A pair of load bearingsupporting members 146 for each plate have their lower ends 147pivotally attached to the main supporting bearing for limited rotationon an axis 148 parallel to the plane of the pressing surface. Supportbracket means 149 secured to the main frame of the machine and locatedabove the pivot axis 148 and slightly outwardly thereof, when the plateis in pressing position as in FIG. 2, provide a rotary support for theupper ends 151 of the load bearing supporting members 146 so that theyare pivoted at 152 on an axis parallel to the axis 148. Thus the weightof the pressing plate 141 is supported from bracket 149 and the pivotalaxes 148 and 152 permit swinging movement of the plate 141 between thepressing position shown at 188 in FIG. 2 and the respective fullyretracted and intermediate positions shown at 186 and 187 in FIG. 3. Asshown in FIG. 3, the upper end of plate 141 is retracted farther thanthe lower end of the pressing plate to provide adequate clearance forforward and rearward movement of the upper portion of the garmentsupport unit when that unit is moved between dressing and pressingpositions. To control the desired extent of relative differentialretraction of the pressing plate at a point spaced substantially abovethe main supporting bearing at the central portion of the plate. Anupper pulley 156 on the side frame guides the upper portion of the cablealong a generally horizontal path at 157 so that this cable portion 157extends along a line of movement generally parallel to at least part ofthe path of movement of the pressing plate and its supporting bearing,as the latter swings from pressing to retracted position at the lowerend of supporting links 146.

A second flexible guide cable portion 158 at the lower end of the unithas its end secured at 159 to the lower edge of the pressing plate at apoint spaced substantially below the pivotalaxis 148. A first rotatablecable control member or feeding drum 161 receives the remaining end ofthe upper cable portion 157. Similarly, the second rotatable cablecontrol member or feeding drum portion 162 receives the remaining end ofthe second flexible guide cable portion 158. These drum portions, asshown inFIG. 4, provide one form of cable control means 163 forcontrolling the extent of relative movement of each cable portion andits associated edge of the pressing plate, in predetermined relationshipto the extent of relative movement of the main supporting bearing alongits path. Thusv the desired orientation of the pressing plate isestablished and maintained during its movement between retracted andpressing positions.

As specifically shown in FIG. 4, the two drum portions 161 and 162 areinterconnected forsimultaneous rotation through corresponding angles andhave different diameters. Both drums are pivotally mounted on a shaft164v and are urged in a counter-clockwise direction of rotation, asviewed in FIG. 4, by a spring 166 having one end secured at 167 to asupporting bracket, and the other end secured at 168 to drum 162.Although cable portions 153 and 158 could be completely separate cables,they are illustrated as parts of a single cable. Thus the upper cableportion which extends downwardly to the cable control member at 153 iswound around drum 161 and then has a section which is clamped securelyat 169 to the drum so that there will be no relative motion between thatcable portion 153 and the drum. The cable portion is then led at 171 tothe inner drum 161 and passed around that drum enough times to providethe desired length of movement for the lower cable portion 158. Bysuitable selection of the relative diameters of drums 161 and 162, adesired ratio of relative distances of movement of the upper and lowerportions of the pressing plates may be obtained.

Main pressing plate retracting springs 172 are connected at each side ofthe machine between the respective pressing plates and the framemembers. These springs are inclined upwardly and outwardly from thepressing plate and normally urge the plates outwardly to fully retractedposition. Inward movement of the plates from retracted position towardtheir inner pressing positions is obtained by pressing cams 173 pivotedat 174 at each side of the machine. These cams engage corresponding camsurfaces on the main bearing or central support portions of the pressingplates, so that the plates are forced inwardly against the actions ofsprings 172 and cable spring 166 when cams 173 are rotated upwardly inFIG. 2-. This camming movement is 183. The lower end of cylinder 183 ispivoted at 184 to one of the bottom frame members.

The weight of piston rod 181 and associated parts,

including lever arms 178 and 178', links 176 and earns 173 normallyurges cam 173 downwardly and thus provides for resilient retraction ofthe pressing plates to the fully retracted position 186. After themovable garment support, with a garment dressed thereon, has been movedinwardly from the dressing position of FIG. 1 to the pressing positionat the right side of FIG. 1, the pressing cycle can be started manuallyor automatically. Preferably the cycle is started automatically byengagement of vertical post 66 of the garment support against theactuating arm of a limit switch 224 at the rear of the machine.Operation of this switch starts the pressing cycle in which air is firstadmitted to cylinder 183 to move the pressing plates from fullyretracted position 186 to intermediate position 187. A switch plate 192on the outside of lever arm 178 has a series of switch operating cams192a, 192b, 1920 and 192d. At predetermined points in the upwardmovement of lever arm 178, these cams are designed to engage theactuating arms of individual switches 227, 228, 229 and 230 on a switchassembly 193 supported on the side frame. Switch 227 is operatedmomentarily to energize a valve for admission of air to cylinder 137 toopen the blower baffle 131 momentarily asthe pressing plates move fromposition 186 to position 187. This causes admission of air to thegarment to fill out the garment as the pressing plates approachintermediate position. The blower baffle is then closed while thepressing plates are at intermediate position 187. Switch 227 is thenfurther energized when lever arm 178 completes the movement of thepressing plates from intermediate to fully pressing or squeezingposition 188, so that hot air is fed into the top or waist portion ofthe garment during the squeezing or pressing part of the cycle.

A second switch actuator 192b and switch 228 are located to stop theadmission of air to cylinder 183 and thereby stop movement of thepressing plates just as they reach the intermediate position 187, atwhich they touch the garment without exerting pressure on it. Switchactuator 192c engages switch 229 as the pressing plates reach thisintermediate position 187 to start the steaming cycle and thus admitsteam within the center buck 47 from which it passes through openings 52into the depending portions of the garment for a period of timecontrolled by an adjustable timer of known construction. Steam is alsoadmitted to the pressing plates and topper.

At substantially the same point in the movement of the lever arm 178,switch actuating arm 192d engages switch 230 to close the vacuum valvein a line which connects through an opening 196 (FIG. 2) in the centerbuck 47. According to one feature of the invention, suction or vacuum ismaintained within the spaces 327 of center buck 47 by means of thecommunicating passage 196 and openings from the time the garment waistsupport moves downwardly from its loading to its dressing position,until the start of the steaming cycle. Thus the suction within thecenter buck assists in holding the depending leg portions against thecenter buck in the particular positions in which they are smoothed ordressed by the operator. Switch 230 cuts off this suction during thesteaming cycle, restores it during the pressing or squeezing part of thecycle, and then maintains the suction when the pressing plates move backfrom pressing position 188 to fully retracted position 186 and until thegarment support returns to unloading position. Thus the suction duringand after the actual pressing part of the cycle assists in removal ofmoisture from the garment following the preliminary steaming cycle andin holding the pressed garment until it is ready for removal.

As the pressing plates are retracted outwardly and reach their fullyretracted positions 186, the load supporting arms 146 engage respectivelimit switches 225 and 226 (FIG. 2). These limit switches are connectedin an appropriate circuit to prevent operation of the controlling airvalve for the transfer air cylinder 44 and thus prevent movement of themain garment support unit in either direction between pressing anddressing positions, unless the main pressing plates 141 and 142 arefully retracted to positions 186.

For a similar purpose, i.e. to prevent movement of the garment supportwhen there is any possibility of damage to the parts, a further limitswitch 221 is mounted near the upper end of supporting post 66 forengagement by the depending bracket 116 of supporting head 72, when thelatter is moved downwardly to its dressing and pressing position, afterinitial mounting of a garment waist while the head is in the upperdotted line loading position at the left portion of FIG. 1. Thus thegarment support cannot move from dressing to pressing position, untilthis supporting head 72 has been moved downwardly so that it will be inproper position for inter-engagement of upper housing opening 117 withblower conduit 122. This initial downward movement of the waist support72, after initial mounting of the trouser waist band on this head unitis preferably controlled by foot pedal 236, which also serves to controlwaist band cylinder 106, as well as topper transfer cylinder 1 1 1.

Thus, at the start of a cycle, when the machine is turned'on and theparts are in loading position, with the garment support in the left-handor dotted line position 'of FIG. 1, air is initially admitted to toppertransfer cylinder 111 to lift the waist band support 72 to the upperposition shown in dotted outline. As the operator places the waist bandof the trousers around the front bucks 77 and 78 and the rear waistsupport 108, he engages the foot pedal 236, thus causing admission ofair to waist band cylinder 106 and urging the rear waist support member108 rearwardly to provide just sufficient tension in the waist band tohold it in, the adjusted position as the operator aligns the creasesaccording to the method of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. During this alignment, theoperator will swing the fly positioning member 83 downwardly to theposition shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and its over-center toggle spring willapply limited holding force to the overlapping buttoned fly portions ofthe garment. The force applied to fly positioning member 83, by itstoggle spring is just sufficient to balance the general tension appliedto the rear waist support member 108 by cylinder 106, so that the waistportion of the garment will be held in the position at which theoperator has adjusted the crease portions, with the respective forces ofthe fly positioning member and rear waist support member opposing eachother in substantially equal strength. Thus the garment remains inadjusted position without accidentally dropping from the garmentsupporting head. Removal of the operators foot from pedal 236 causesevacuation of air from cylinder 111, but does not cut off the air tocylinder 106, which continues to maintain the necessary clampingengagement of the waist support, until the pressing cycle is completeand the parts have again returned to the dotted line position of FIG. 1for removal of the garment and the start of another cycle.

Foot control pedal 236 may also be connected for introducing steam undercontrol of the operator, while the parts are in the dressing position atthe left side of FIG. 1, in case the operator decides that apre-steaming cycle is desirable to assist in dressing the garment legsagainst the center buck.

Once the garment is dressed, the operator initiates the movement of thegarment support to the rear by actuation of suitable switches,preferably by simultaneous actuation of left and right switch members244 and 246 on the respective sides of the front panel of the machine.By requiring simultaneous operation of such switches, a safety featureis provided to make sure the operator does not have either hand withinthe machine, where it might be accidentally caught between the pressingplates or other operating members. Once this operation is initiated, theremaining steps of the cycle as described above can be controlledautomatically in desired sequence and time by suitable interconnectionof the various operating and limit switches with contact relays, timers,and the solenoid coils of appropriate valves for admission of compressedair to the air cylinders and for application of heated air, steam andsuction to the respective connections involved. If complete manualcontrol of the various machine features and method steps is desired,individual electrical and pneumatic connections can be provided in amanner already known in the pressing machine art. For example, separatemanually operable electric circuit elements and pneumatic valveconnections might be used to energize the various air cylinders in asequence determined entirely by the operator. For a more automaticcycle, however, novel pneumatic and electric control circuit featureshave been included in the preferred form of this invention and aredescribed in connection with the respective pneumatic and electricaldiagrams shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. I

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9, the pneumatic system includes aseries of control valves V201 through V209 adapted to control theadmission of air under pressure to the various indicated air cylindersalready described. A compressed air supply line 214 supplies air throughone branch 214A under the control of a pressure regulator 215 to theinlet of valve V209. Supply line 214 also supplies air through anotherbranch line 2148 to the inlets of valves V210 through V206, and V208.

An exhaust line 216 connects a muffler 217 to the outlets of each ofvalves V201 through V207. A quick exhaust or dumping valve unit 218 isconnected in the line from valve V208 to pressing or squeezing cylinder183. That line is also connected through valve V207 to the line from flyclamping cylinder 91. Thus when valve V207 is de-energized to return toits normally closed position for connection to the exhaust line, theinitial partial relief of pressure from the fly clamp cylinder line andthe squeezing cylinder line connected through valve V208 will triggeroperation of the dumping valve 218 in known manner to immediatelycomplete the reduction of pressure in the squeezing cylinder morerapidly than the exhaust line 216 can accommodate.

A'further adjustable pressure regulator 219 is included in the line tofly clamp cylinder 91 in order to provide a substantial reduction ofpressure in this line. Thus the force applied to the fly clamp 83 willbe sufficient to hold the garment waist in position, but without thehigher pressures or forces required for operation of the squeezingcylinder 183. Cylinder 183 is first connected to the same air supply214B through valve portion' V208 to move the plates from retracted tointermediate position, and is later connected through va'lve V209 to theregulated air line 214A for final movement of the pressing plates fromintermediate to pressing position. The outlets from valves V207, V208and V209 are internally interconnected as shown. Similar adjustablepressure regulators 220 may be introduced in other lines such as thosebetween valves V202, V203, V204 and V206 and their respective aircylinders, to control the force or speed of actuation of the variouspistons. Valve V205 admits air to cylinder 316, whose pistons 317 areconnected to steam valves (not shown) for feeding steam at 322 to themain pressing plates.

FIG. 10 shows a wiring diagram embodying features of the invention foractuation of the respective valves of FIG. 9, as well as other operatingelements of the apparatus. Before describing the circuitry of FIG. 10,however, it should be noted that there are two additional limit switches222 and 223 which are mounted at the lower front portion of theapparatus (see FIG. 1). Switches 222 and 223 are normally closed, butare engaged and moved to open position by the front edge of the garmentsupport when it moves all the way out from pressing position to thedressing position at the lefthand portion of FIG. 1. Switches 222 and223 are positioned so that movement of the garment support from dressingposition back to its pressing position first permits switch 223 to moveback to its normally closed position, and thereafter permits movement ofswitch 222 from its held-open position back to its normally closedposition.

In addition to the valves V201 through V209 and the various limitswitches 221 through 230, already described, FIG. 10 shows the manner inwhich the remaining operating portions of the apparatus may beinterconnected for the desired sequence of operation. Thus valves V210and V212 are suitably connected like valve V205 to steam control valvesfor feeding steam to the garment waist support through pipe 318 (FIG. 5)and waist support opening 119, and to the interior of center buck 47 at194. Valve V211 is similarly connected to control application of suctionto the interior of the center buck through a connection 196, 331 (FIG.2).

The diagram also shown contact relays CR1, CR2,

CR3 and CR4, the energizing coils of which are shown within the circlesin FIG. identified at 231, 232, 233

and 234. Each contact relay has a plurality of contact pairs which areidentified in FIG. 10 by customary symbols which show at appropriatecircuit locations the numbers of the contacts in that relay and whetherthey are either normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC), and whichare shown with a CR number corresponding to the legend in the circleidentifying the main energizing coil of that relay. The two-way footswitch 236 is shown in its normal rest position at the upper leftportion of FIG. 10. A first timer circuit includes a timing motor 237controlling a timer switch 238 primarily adapted for controlling thesteaming cy- I cle. A second timer circuit including a timer motor 239controlling a timer switch 241 thereafter controls the duration of thepressing or squeezing part of the cycle.

Such timer switches each have a common connection C and respectivenormally closed and normally open open connections NC and NO. Each timermay be selectively preset for a desired time interval. The timer motormoves a cam to operate the switch and hold it in alternate positionuntil the motor is deenergized. A spring return then resets the switchto its original condition.

A counter 242 is connected to keep a record of the total number ofcycles through which the machine has been operated. A manual switch PE243 (see also FIG. 2 is included in the circuit to permit selectiveoperation of valve V 210 for a manual presteaming operation of thegarment top through the connection 318 and waist support head, whendesired by the operator during the dressing step. An emergence stopswitch 247 is provided to permit interruption of the cycle. Its circuitconnections keep the necessary circuits energized to insure completereturn movement of the garment support to its starting position, afterthe cycle has been interrupted by operating switch 247 to open its lowercontacts and close its upper ones.

As further shown in FIG. 10, current is supplied by wires 248 and 249under control of a main on-off switch 261. When this switch is closed,line 251 is directly energized, and line 252 is also energized throughthe closed lower contacts of switch 247. A circuit is thus completethrough normally closed contacts 8,2 of relay CR3 to open valve V204 toadmit air to the rear of cylinder 43 and hold the garment support firmlyin its front or dressing position, with limit switches LS222 and LS223held open (i.e. in their upper'positions in FIG. 10).

A circuit is also completed to energize valve V202 through the normallyclosed contacts 8,2 of contact relay CR2. Thus, air is admitted to thecylinder 111 to move the waist supporting head to its upper position atthe left of FIG. 1 for initial mounting of a garment. Fly positioner 83will be manually retracted at this time, while the operator places thewaist portion of the garment around the front bucks 77 and 78 and rearwaist support 108, with the fly portions of the trousers buttonedtogether. Operation of foot switch 236 downwardly by the operator willthen complete a cir-- cuit from wire 252 to wire 249 through normallyclosed contacts 9,3 of relay CR2 to energize the main coil 231 of relayCR1. At this same time, a circuit is completed through normally closedcontacts 7,1 of relay CR2 and alternately through nearly closed contacts9,6 of relay CR1 to valve V210 to admit air to cylinder 106 and move therear waist band support resiliently to the rear to the position shown inFIG. 6. Operation of contact relay CR1 will simultaneously complete aholding circuit for that relay through its contacts 7 and 4 and limitswitch 222, which is being held in the position shown in FIG. 10 by theengagement of the garment support at the front of the machine. Contacts9,6 of relay CR1 will energize wire 257. Relay CR1 also closes itsnormally open contacts 8,5 to partially complete a circuit through themain coil of the second contact relay CR2, but this relay does notbecome energized until foot switch 236 is released to return to theoriginal position shown in FIG. 10. The foot switch may be held down tocomplete the dressing of the waist portion of the garment on the topperhead as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, although it is also possible tocomplete these operations after the waist support 72 has moved to itslower dressing and pressing position. Such movement will occur uponrelease of foot switch 236. At that time, the circuit to energize relayCR2 is completed through wire 254, and its normally open contacts 7,4will become closed to complete a holding circuit for that relay fromline 252 through closed contacts 9,6 of relay CR1.

Actuation of relay CR2 will also open its contacts 8,2 and thereby openthe circuit to valve V202, which exhausts cylinder 111, and permits thewaist supporting head to drop from its upper loading position to itslower dressing and pressing position. Operation of contact relay CR2will also open its contacts 9,3 through which relay CR1 was initiallyenergized and will close contacts 6,9 of relay CR2 to provide analternate path from foot switch 236 around through wire 256 to the steamcontrol valve V212. This circuit will not be complete, however, untilthe foot switch is again depressed, and this may or may not be done bythe operator depending on his decision as to the need for a pre-steamingoperation. If he does depress foot switch 236, a circuit will becompleted through the control coil of the valve V212 and the normallyclosed contacts of timer switch 238 to the return wire 249. The valveV212 (not shown in FIG. 9, since it does not involve the use ofcompressed air) directly controls the admission of steam to the centerbuck through inlet 194 (FIG. 2) and thus steams the depending trouserleg portions to facilitate the initial removal of wrinkles and thesmooth dressing of these leg portions against the center buck.

If the operator also wishes to pre-steam the waist portion of thegarment, control button PB243 will be pushed, as described above, tocomplete a circuit from wire 251 through valve V210 and the normallyclosed contacts NC to C of timer switch 238. Valve V210 (not shown inFIG. 9) directly controls the admission of steam to the interior of thegarment through the topper or waist support housing opening 119.

After the trouser legs are smoothed and dressed against the center buck,the operator is ready to initiate the remainder of the pressing cycle bypushing manual buttons 244 and 246. This will complete the circuit tooperate valve V203, only if limit switch 221 is closed, and this switchis closed only when the waist support has dropped downwardly to itsdressing position, so that it is in the proper position for movement tothe right in FIG. 2 to the pressing position. Thus switch 221 providessafety means to prevent movement of the garment support to the pressingposition, until the supporting head moves from loading to dressing andpressing position. Valve V203 will open the front of cylinder 43 to airpressure to start movement of its piston rod 44 and entire garment buckto the rear of the machine toward the pressing position. At the sametime, a circuit is completed to energize the main coil 233 of relay CR3.When this relay is energized, its contacts 7,4 close to completeaholding circuit. Its contacts 8,2 open, thereby permitting valve V204to close and exhaust the rear end of transfer cylinder 43 to permit thedesired rearward movement, as valve V203 admits air to the front end ofcylinder 43. Contacts 8,5 and 9,6 of relay CR3 also close to partiallycomplete circuits for the blower, baffle and fly positioning members,and for the steaming valves.

As the garment support starts its movement to the rear, limit switch 223is permitted to close first. This completes a further holding circuitfor the main coil 232 of relay CR2 and keeps wire 257 energized. Limitswitch LS222 closes next. This opens the holding circuit of relay CR1,as well as the initial holding circuit for relay CR2. Hence it isnecessary that switch LS222 close after switch LS223, which has alreadyprovided an alternate holding circuit for relay CR2.

When the garment buck reaches its rearward pressing position, it engagesand closes limit switch LS2'24. Circuits are then completed through theclosed contacts 8,5 of relay CR3 and limit switch 224 from supply wire251 to various circuit portions at the lower part of FIG. 10. Blowermotor 127 is accordingly turned on. Valves V207 and V208 are moved toopen position so that pressure from air supply line 214B is appliedthrough both valves to the fly positioning member 83 and cylinder 183respectively. Cylinder 183 starts movement of the pressing platesinwardly from position 186 to position 187 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

Just before the pressing plates reach intermediate position 187,however, one of the cams 192A on lever arm 178 will engage limit switchLS227 to energize valve V206 and open the blower baffle momentarily todirect hot air into the top of the garment and balloon the garmentportion. The cam actuator will permit closing of valve V206 just beforethe plates reach position 187.

When the plates actually arrive at intermediate position 187, limitswitch LS228 is moved by cam 1928 to its lower position in FIG. topermit closing of valve V208 and partially complete the circuit to valveV209, which circuit is still open, however, at timer switch 238. Thus nomore air is admitted from line 2148 to cylinder 183, and the movement ofthe pressing plates is stopped at position 187 by switch LS228.

At the same time, limit switch LS229 is closed by a cam 192C and startsall three steaming operations through energizing valves V205, V210 andV212 for simultaneous admission of steam through the pressing plates,through the topper, and through the center buck respectively. This sameswitch starts timer motor 237 so that timer switch 238, after apredetermined interval, will terminate the steaming operation by openingits normally closed contacts and will start the further movement of thepressing plates by closing its normally open contact to complete thecircuit through valve V209. During this same steaming cycle at position187, limit switch LS230 is held open by one of the actuating portions at192D thereby permitting closing of valve V211 and temporarily cuttingoff the suction to the center buck during the steaming cycle.

While the parts are still at position 187, timer switch 238 completesthe circuit to valve V209, as described, and moves this valve to connectcylinder 183 to the control pressure line 214A for the final pressingmovement of the plates to position 188. The exact pressure desired forthis squeezing operation is controlled by regulator 215.

Completion of the operation of timer switch 238 also completes thecircuit for motor 239 of the second timer switch 241 and starts thatswitch through its cycle to control the predetermined time of pressingat position 188. When this timing cycle is complete, timer switch 241completes a circuit for the main coil 234 of contact relay CR4.Operation of this relay completes its own holding circuit through itscontacts 9,6 and opens its contacts 7,1 to stop the operation of theblower motor and to permit closing of valve V207 to start the exhaustfor the fly positioning member cylinder 91 and the main pressingcylinder 183. As already described, the quick exhaust 218 is thentriggered to complete the relief of pressure from cylinder 183 andpermit movement of the pressing plates back toward their fully retractedpositions 186.

When the plates reach position 186, their supporting arms will engagelimit switches LS225 and 226 and hold them in the upper or open positionshown in FIG. 10. This will permit de-energizing of coil 233 of relayCR3, which thus cannot occur until the pressing plates are fully open.This will also open the circuit to valve V203 so that the valve willmove to its normally closed position and permit exhaust of air from thefront of transfer cylinder 43. Contacts 8,2 of relay CR3 will also closeagain as the relay is deenergized and will thus energize valve V204 toopen it and admit air to the rear of cylinder 43 to move the garmentsupport back to the front or loading position. The re-opening ofcontacts 8,5 of relay CR3, when the latter is deenergized, will alsoopen the connection from supply wire 251 to switch LS4.

When the garment support finally reaches the front of the machine, itwill first open limit switch LS222 and then open limit switch 223. Thelatter switch thus deenergizes wire 257 and relay CR2, and contacts 8,2of relay CRZ return to their normally closed position to energize valveV202 and move the waist support back up to the loading and unloadingposition shown at the left portion of FIG. 1. Also valve V201 becomesdeenergized and permits the waist expander or rear waist support memberto move forwardly to release the garment waist. The switch arrangementpermits this upward movement and garment waist release only when thecenter buck has reached the forward position where there is room for thetopper to move upwardly. Thus the operating cycle is completed.

Certain portions shown in dotted outline in FIGS. 9 and 10 have not beendescribed in this operation, since they are not part of the operation ofthe machine fea-' tures shown in FIGS. 1 through 8. They are describedbelow, in connection with operation of a further modification of thedevice of FIGS. 1 through 8.

As illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the present invention alsocontemplates the addition of further features for holding the seat andcuff portions of the trousers in properly dressed position on the centerbuck 47 during the movement of the buck from its front dressing positionto its rear pressing position and during the initial movement of thepressing plates, prior to the steaming cycle. Thus as shown at the topof FIG. 11, the slide 93 which carries the rear waist support member 108is provided with a pair of rear seat wing members 271 which extenddownwardly as shown in FIG. 11 for engagement with the seat portion of apair of trousers below the waistband. Two such wing members 271 aresecured at opposite sides of the lower portion of a lever 272 which ispivoted at 273 to slide 93. These two depending seat wings 271 divergelaterally at their lower ends.

An air cylinder 274 has one end pivoted at 276 to bracket 93 and has aforwardly extending piston rod 277 pivoted at 278 to the upper end oflever arm 272. Spring 279, connected between the upper end of lever 272and the rear end of cylinder 274 normally urges the seat wing member 271from the solid line position shown at the left portion of FIG. 1 1 to aretracted or inoperative position shown in the dotted outline at theright portion of FIG. 11. When air is admitted to cylinder 274, however,the seat wings will be moved to the right in FIG. 11 to engage and holdthe seat of the trousers far enough to the rear to facilitate thedressing of the depending leg portions smoothly against the sides 51 ofthe center buck 47. Air is normally admitted to cylinder 274 through acontrol valve V213 shown in FIG. 9 so the seat wings are extended at thetime that valve V201 admits air to move the waist band cylinder .to therear. Thus the seat wings 271 are urged by air pressure to the rear ofthe machine during the initial mounting of the garment and at all timesthereafter until the garment support has reached the pressing positionand the pressing plates have moved from their fully retracted positionsto their intermediate steaming positions. Air is evacuated from cylinder274 when valve V213 is closed just as the steaming operation starts, sothat the seat wings 271 are retracted and will not leave marks orcreases at the end of the steaming operation. The circuit connections tocause opening of valve V213 and permit retraction of wings 271 by spring279 are shown in dotted outline in the circuit diagram of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 11 and 12 also show a modification designed to assist in thesmooth dressing and preliminary holding of the cuffs of the trouserssupported on such a machine. This cuff dressing assembly isindicatedgenerally at 281 and includes two identical units, one of whichis shown in FIG. 11, located at each side of the center buck 47. A cuffholding assembly 282 extends forwardly along the face 51 of center buck47. The rear end of this assembly is secured at 283 to the lower end ofa vertically movable cylinder 284, which slides up and down on a fixedpiston rod 286. The lower end of hollow piston rod 286 is secured to abracket 287 and is supplied with air through a connection 288. The upperend of hollow piston rod 286 is secured to an upper flange 289 onbracket 67 and has an air supply connection 291. A spring latch 292 onbracket 289 engages a recess 292a or some other suitable portion of thecylinder 284 to frictionally retain the cylinder 284 in the upper orheavy-line position shown at the left of FIG. 11.

The cylinder head portion 293 provides a combination seal and bearingfor the upper end of the cylinder to let is slide along the piston rod286. A similar head 294 at the lower end of the cylinder provides a sealand hearing at that end. Within the hollow piston rod 286 a plug 296 isfixed for the purpose of dividing the piston rod into upper and lowerseparate air passages 297 and 298 communicating with the respective airconnections 291 and 288.

Piston rod 286 also carries a fixed piston ring portion 299 which fitsthe annular space between the outside of the piston rod 286 and theinside of the cylinder 284. The dimensions of these parts are such as toprovide an effective annular air space between them. The piston portion299 effectively divides this air space into an upper air cylinder 301and a lower air cylinder 302. Openings 303 and 304 in the side wall ofthe piston rod 286 just above and below the plug 296 providecommunication from the upper and lower air connections of the piston rodto respective upper and lower air cylinder chambers 301 and 302. Thusadmission of air at 291 will raise the cylinder 284 to the heavy-lineposition at the left of FIG. 11, while admission of air to the lower endof piston rod 286, and thus to the lower cylinder section 302, willforce the cylinder downwardly.

The cuff holding assembly 282 includes a forwardly extending horizontalportion 306 with an upwardly extending cuff insert 307 at the forwardend. A horizontally movable slide 308 on arm 306 is resiliently urged tothe rear by a spring connection 309. Slide 308 has one or more upwardlyprojecting cuff holding inserts 31 1 and 312 which may be selectivelyinserted in either narrow or broad cuffs as required.

At the time when an operator starts to load the garment on the machine,the center buck 47 is in the lefthand position of FIG. 11 and thecylinder and cuff assembly 282 are latched in their upper position bymember 292, with air pressure in each cylinder portion 301 also holdingassembly 282 upward. When the operator has placed the waist portion ofthe garment on the waist support and removes his foot from pedal 261,the air will leave cylinder portions 301 as well as topper cylinder 111.The support 72 will drop to the pressing position shown in FIG. 11, butthe cuff assembly will remain latched in upper position. The operatorcan then manually place the depending trouser cuffs over the forwardinsert 307 and whichever of the rear movable inserts 311 and 312 bestfits the particular cuff. As each cuff is secured to its holder, theoperator manually pushes the holding assembly 282 downwardly and thusreleases it from latch 292, so that it will drop from the heavy-line tothe dotted line position at the left of FIG. 11 under the influence ofgravity alone. Thus the relatively light weight of the cuff holdingassembly will pull the depending trouser legs smoothly against thecenter buck 47 while the operator smooths out the intermediate portionsand starts movement of the center buck back to the pressing position.The resilient spring 309 is just sufficient to prevent the cuff holdersfrom slipping out of the trouser cuff under the weight of the cuffholding assembly.

After the parts have moved to the right-hand position of FIG. 11 tostart the pressing part of the cycle, the cuff holding parts will remainin the intermediate position, holding the cuffs downwardly by gravityalone, until the start of the steaming cycle. At that point, after thepressing plates reach intermediate position 187, air will be admitted toa first power means, i.e. to the bottom of piston rod 286 and to thebottom cylinder chamber 302, by the connections shown in dotted outlinein FIG. 9 at the same time the steam is turned on. This will promptlyurge the piston and the cuff holders downwardly to the lower dotted lineposition shown at the right of FIG. 11. Thus the cuff holders will bebelow the cuffs during the steaming and pressing parts of the cycle andwill not leave undesired marks or ridges in the garment after it iscompletely pressed. However, these cuff holders assist in the originaldressing of the trousers on the center buck and in holding the trousersin dressed position during the movement of the garment support fromdressing to pressing position. The cuff engaging edges of projections307, 311 and 312 are relative smooth, and the resilient force applied byspring 309 is sufficiently weak, so that the cuff holders are readilypulled down out of the cuffs at the start of the steaming cycle, withoutstretching or tautening the trouser legs or disturbing their smoothlydressed positions on the sides of center buck 47.

As shown by the connections in FIG. 9, air will then be admitted to asecond power means, ie to the upper end of piston rod 286 and to theupper chamber 301 of cylinder 284, only after the garment support 47 hasbeen returned to its forward or dressing position, when the waistsupporting head 72 moves to its upper position for unloading of thegarment. The cuff holders will then be latched in their upper positionready for another loading and dressing operation.

The pressing apparatus described in this specification thus providesnovel combinations of operating and control features which areparticularly suitable for the rapid processing of garments such astrousers made of materials normally cleaned by dry-cleaning methods, butwhich are also capable of other applications. Limit switches and safetycircuits or interlocks insure proper operation in desired sequence andminimize the possibilities of damage or malfunctions. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the dimensions and details ofconstruction of the apparatus shown in the drawings could be modified invarious ways within the principles of the present invention. The presentspecification, however, sets forth some of the ways in which theinvention may be put into practice, including the best mode presentlycontemplated for carrying out the invention.

1 I claim:

I. A pressing apparatus having main body frame, a pair of opposedpressing plates, means movably mounting the pressing plates on saidframe for movement toward each other to a pressing position and awayfrom each other to a retracted position, a garment support, meansmovably mounting the garment support for movement along a generallyhorizontal path between an inner pressing position, in which the garmentsupport is located between the pressing plates within the body frame,and an outer dressing position in which the garment support ishorizontally displaced from the pressing position between the pressingplates and is located for convenient dressing and removal of a garmenton the garment support, said movable garment support including anupwardly extending center buck having sides against which the downwardlyextending legs of a pair of trousers are adapted to be dressed andpressed, said movable garment support also including a waist supportabove the center buck, and means mounting the waist support on thegarment support for movement between an upper loading position, in whichthe waist support head is spaced above the center buck for convenientengagement and disengagement of a trouser waist portion on the waistsupport while the garment support is in its dressing position, and alower dressing and pressing position in which the waist support islocated closely above the center buck for supporting the trouser waistin position for convenient dressing of the trouser legs on the sides ofthe center buck while the garment support is in its dressing positionand for pressing of the trouser legs between the center buck andpressing plates while the garment support is in its pressing position.

2. Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 having first motor means formoving the trouser waist support between its lower and upper positions,second motor means for moving the garmentsupport between its dressingand pressing positions, third motor means for moving the pressing platesbetween retracted and pressing positions, and first safety meansresponsive to the position of the waist support and operativelyconnected to the second motor means for preventing operation ofthesecond motor means to move the garment support from dressing topressing position while the waist support is in its upper position.

3. Pressing apparatus according to claim '2 having further safety meansresponsive to the position of said garment support and operativelyconnected to said first motor means for preventing operation of thefirst motor means to position the waist support in its upper loadingposition while the garment support is out of its dressing position.

4. Pressing apparatus according to claim 2 having second safety meansresponsive to the position of said pressing plates and operativelyconnected to the second motor means for preventing operation of thesecond motor means to move the garment support while the pressing platesare out of their retracted position.

5. Pressing apparatus according to claim 3 having third safety meansresponsive to the position of said garment support and operativelyconnected to the third motor means for preventing movement of thepressing plates from their retracted position while the garment supportis out of its pressing position.

6. Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the center bucksides have fluid passages therethrough, and said apparatus includes atleast first steaming means for feeding steam through the center buckagainst trouser leg portions dressed thereon, and first control meansfor selective optional operation of the first steaming means while thegarment support is in dressing position.

7. Pressing apparatus according to claim 6 having second steaming meansfor feeding steam inside the waist portion of a garment mounted on saidwaist support, and second control means for selective optional operationof the second steaming means while the gar ment support is in dressingposition.

8. Pressing apparatus according to claim 7 having motor means for movingthe pressing plates from their retractedposition toward their pressingposition to an intermediate steaming position at which the pressingplates are spaced slightly from the sides of the center buck when thegarment support is in pressing position, said motor means also beingoperable for further moving the pressing plates from intermediateposition all the way to pressing position, and third control meansresponsive to arrival of the pressing plates at their intermediateposition for operating at least one of said steaming means while thepressing plates are at said intermediate position.

9. Pressing apparatus according to claim 8 in which each pressing plateincludes an inwardly facing pressing surface with fluid passagestherethrough, and said apparatus includes third steaming means forfeeding steam through the pressing plate passages against trouser legportions dressed on the center buck, said third control means operatingall of said first, second and third steaming means while the pressingplates are at said intermediate position and including manuallyadjustable first timer means for automatically terminating such steamingafter a preselected time interval, said first timer means being furtheroperatively connected to said motor means for automatically moving thepressing plates from intermediate to pressing position at the end ofsaid preselected time interval.

10. Pressing apparatus according to claim 9 having manually adjustablesecond timer means operatively connected to said motor means andproviding for automatic movement of the pressing plates from pressing toretracted position after a preselected pressing time interval.

l1. Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the center bucksides have fluid passages therethrough and each pressing plate includesan inwardly facing pressing surface with fluid passages therethrough,and said apparatus includes first steaming means for feeding steamthrough the center buck against trouser leg portions dressed thereon,second steaming means for feeding steam inside the waist portion of apair of trousers held on the waist support, third steaming means forfeeding steam through the pressing plate passages against trouser legportions dressed on said center buck, motor means for moving thepressing plates from their retracted position toward their pressingposition to an intermediate steaming position in-which the pressingplates are spaced slightly from the sides of the center buck when thegarment support is in pressing position, said motor means also beingoperable for moving the pressing plates from intermediate position allthe way to pressing position and subsequently from pressing to fullyretracted position, control means responsive to movement of the garmentsupport all the way from its dressing to its pressing position forstarting operation of the motor means for moving the pressing platesfrom retracted to intermediate position, steam control means responsiveto movement of the pressing plates to intermediate position foroperating said first, second and third steaming means, timer means forau tomatically terminating operation of the steaming means after apreselected time interval, said timing means including means thereaftersequentially operating said motor means to move the pressing plates fromintermediate to pressing position, to hold the plates in pressingposition for a preselected further time interval, and then providemovement of the plates from pressing to retracted position, and furthercontrol means responsive to arrival of the pressing plates at theirretracted positions for automatically and sequentially returning thegarment support from pressing to dressing position and the waist supportfrom dressing position to its upper loading position.

12. Pressing apparatus according to claim 11 in which said apparatusincludes suction means for drawing air inwardly through the fluidpassages of said center buck and thereby holding the trouser legs indressed position against the sides of the center buck, suction controlmeans operatively connected for operating the suction means duringmovement of the garment support and while the garment support is awayfrom its dressing position, said suction control means being operativelyconnected for interrupting operation of the suction means while saidsteam control means in operating said steaming means.

13. Pressing apparatus according to claim 11 having air blowing meansincluding conduit means in the waist support for feeding air inside thewaist portion of a pair of trousers, and air control means operativelyconnected to the air blowing means and responsive to the position ofsaid pressing plates for feeding air briefly through the conduit meansto balloon the trousers just before the pressing plates have completedtheir movement from retracted to intermediate position.

14. Pressing apparatus according to claim 11 in which-said waist supportincludes a pair of laterally spaced front waist support members, aroundwhich the front waist portion of a garment is to be supported, aforwardly and rearwardly movable rear waist support member around whichthe rear waist portion of a garment is to be supported, waist supportmotor means for urging the rear waist support member rearwardly andthereby tensioning the garment waist around said front and rear waistsupport members, and waist support control means operatively connectedto the waist support motor means for tensioning the waist throughoutmovement of the garment support from dressing position to pressingposition and back to dressing position.

15. Pressing apparatus according to claim 14 in which said rear waistsupport member has a downwardly projecting seat wing mounted thereon formovement between a rear position in which said wing pushes a garmentseat portion to the rear for dressing, and a forwardly retractedposition in which said wing is pulled forwardly within the garment waistaway. from the garment seat portion, and seat wing control means urgingthe seat wing to its rear position during dressing of the garment andduring movement of the garment support from dressing to pressingposition, said control means being operatively connected for movement ofthe seat wing to its retracted position when said steaming means isoperated and for holding the seat wing in retracted position thereafteruntil the garment support

1. A pressing apparatus having main body frame, a pair of opposedpressing plates, means movably mounting the pressing plates on saidframe for movement toward each other to a pressing position and awayfrom each other to a retracted position, a garment support, meansmovably mounting the garment support for movement along a generallyhorizontal path between an inner pressing position, in which the garmentsupport is located between the pressing plates within the body frame,and an outer dressing position in which the garment support ishorizontally displaced from the pressing position between the pressingplates and is located for convenient dressing and removal of a garmenton the garment support, said movable garment support including anupwardly extending center buck having sides against which the downwardlyextending legs of a pair of trousers are adapted to be dressed andpressed, said movable garment support also including a waist supportabove the center buck, and means mounting the waist support on thegarment support for movement between an upper loading position, in whichthe waist support head is spaced above the center buck for convenientengagement and disengagement of a trouser waist portion on the waistsupport while the garment support is in its dressing position, and alower dressing and pressing position in which the waist support islocated closely above the center buck for supporting the trouser waistin position for convenient dressing of the trouser legs on the sides ofthe center buck while the garment support is in its dressing positionand for pressing of the trouser legs between the center buck andpressing plates while the garment support is in its pressingposition.
 1. A pressing apparatus having main body frame, a pair ofopposed pressing plates, means movably mounting the pressing plates onsaid frame for movement toward each other to a pressing position andaway from each other to a retracted position, a garment support, meansmovably mounting the garment support for movement along a generallyhorizontal path between an inner pressing position, in which the garmentsupport is located between the pressing plates within the body frame,and an outer dressing position in which the garment support ishorizontally displaced from the pressing position between the pressingplates and is located for convenient dressing and removal of a garmenton the garment support, said movable garment support including anupwardly extending center buck having sides against which the downwardlyextending legs of a pair of trousers are adapted to be dressed andpressed, said movable garment support also including a waist supportabove the center buck, and means mounting the waist support on thegarment support for movement between an upper loading position, in whichthe waist support head is spaced above the center buck for convenientengagement and disengagement of a trouser waist portion on the waistsupport while the garment support is in its dressing position, and alower dressing and pressing position in which the waist support islocated closely above the center buck for supporting the trouser waistin position for convenient dressing of the trouser legs on the sides ofthe center buck while the garment support is in its dressing positionand for pressing of the trouser legs between the center buck andpressing plates while the garment support is in its pressing position.2. Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 having first motor means formoving the trouser waist support between its lower and upper positions,second motor means for moving the garment support between its dressingand pressing positions, third motor means for moving the pressing platesbetween retracted and pressing positions, and first safety meansresponsive to the position of the waist support and operativelyconnected to the second motor means for preventing operation of thesecond motor means to move the garment support from dressing to pressingposition while the waist support is in its upper position.
 3. Pressingapparatus according to claim 2 having further safety means responsive tothe position of said garment support and operatively connected to saidfirst motor means for preventing operation of the first motor means toposition the waist support in its upper loading position while thegarment support is out of its dressing position.
 4. Pressing apparatusaccording to claim 2 having second safety means responsive to theposition of said pressing plates and operatively connected to the secondmotor means for preventing operation of the second motor means to movethe garment support while the pressing plates are out of their retractedposition.
 5. Pressing apparatus according to claim 3 having third safetymeans responsive to the position of said garment support and operativelyconnected to the third motor means for preventing movement of thepressing plates from their retracted position while the garment supportis out of its pressing position.
 6. Pressing apparatus according toclaim 1 in which the center buck sides have fluid passages therethrough,and said apparatus includes at least first steaming means for feedingsteam through the center buck against trouser leg portions dressedthereon, and first control means for selective optional operation of thefirst steaming means while the garment support is in dressing position.7. Pressing apparatus according to claim 6 having second steaming meansfoR feeding steam inside the waist portion of a garment mounted on saidwaist support, and second control means for selective optional operationof the second steaming means while the garment support is in dressingposition.
 8. Pressing apparatus according to claim 7 having motor meansfor moving the pressing plates from their retracted position towardtheir pressing position to an intermediate steaming position at whichthe pressing plates are spaced slightly from the sides of the centerbuck when the garment support is in pressing position, said motor meansalso being operable for further moving the pressing plates fromintermediate position all the way to pressing position, and thirdcontrol means responsive to arrival of the pressing plates at theirintermediate position for operating at least one of said steaming meanswhile the pressing plates are at said intermediate position.
 9. Pressingapparatus according to claim 8 in which each pressing plate includes aninwardly facing pressing surface with fluid passages therethrough, andsaid apparatus includes third steaming means for feeding steam throughthe pressing plate passages against trouser leg portions dressed on thecenter buck, said third control means operating all of said first,second and third steaming means while the pressing plates are at saidintermediate position and including manually adjustable first timermeans for automatically terminating such steaming after a preselectedtime interval, said first timer means being further operativelyconnected to said motor means for automatically moving the pressingplates from intermediate to pressing position at the end of saidpreselected time interval.
 10. Pressing apparatus according to claim 9having manually adjustable second timer means operatively connected tosaid motor means and providing for automatic movement of the pressingplates from pressing to retracted position after a preselected pressingtime interval.
 11. Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 in which thecenter buck sides have fluid passages therethrough and each pressingplate includes an inwardly facing pressing surface with fluid passagestherethrough, and said apparatus includes first steaming means forfeeding steam through the center buck against trouser leg portionsdressed thereon, second steaming means for feeding steam inside thewaist portion of a pair of trousers held on the waist support, thirdsteaming means for feeding steam through the pressing plate passagesagainst trouser leg portions dressed on said center buck, motor meansfor moving the pressing plates from their retracted position towardtheir pressing position to an intermediate steaming position in whichthe pressing plates are spaced slightly from the sides of the centerbuck when the garment support is in pressing position, said motor meansalso being operable for moving the pressing plates from intermediateposition all the way to pressing position and subsequently from pressingto fully retracted position, control means responsive to movement of thegarment support all the way from its dressing to its pressing positionfor starting operation of the motor means for moving the pressing platesfrom retracted to intermediate position, steam control means responsiveto movement of the pressing plates to intermediate position foroperating said first, second and third steaming means, timer means forautomatically terminating operation of the steaming means after apreselected time interval, said timing means including means thereaftersequentially operating said motor means to move the pressing plates fromintermediate to pressing position, to hold the plates in pressingposition for a preselected further time interval, and then providemovement of the plates from pressing to retracted position, and furthercontrol means responsive to arrival of the pressing plates at theirretracted positions for automatically and sequentially returning thegarment support from pressing to dressing position and the waist supportfrOm dressing position to its upper loading position.
 12. Pressingapparatus according to claim 11 in which said apparatus includes suctionmeans for drawing air inwardly through the fluid passages of said centerbuck and thereby holding the trouser legs in dressed position againstthe sides of the center buck, suction control means operativelyconnected for operating the suction means during movement of the garmentsupport and while the garment support is away from its dressingposition, said suction control means being operatively connected forinterrupting operation of the suction means while said steam controlmeans in operating said steaming means.
 13. Pressing apparatus accordingto claim 11 having air blowing means including conduit means in thewaist support for feeding air inside the waist portion of a pair oftrousers, and air control means operatively connected to the air blowingmeans and responsive to the position of said pressing plates for feedingair briefly through the conduit means to balloon the trousers justbefore the pressing plates have completed their movement from retractedto intermediate position.
 14. Pressing apparatus according to claim 11in which said waist support includes a pair of laterally spaced frontwaist support members, around which the front waist portion of a garmentis to be supported, a forwardly and rearwardly movable rear waistsupport member around which the rear waist portion of a garment is to besupported, waist support motor means for urging the rear waist supportmember rearwardly and thereby tensioning the garment waist around saidfront and rear waist support members, and waist support control meansoperatively connected to the waist support motor means for tensioningthe waist throughout movement of the garment support from dressingposition to pressing position and back to dressing position. 15.Pressing apparatus according to claim 14 in which said rear waistsupport member has a downwardly projecting seat wing mounted thereon formovement between a rear position in which said wing pushes a garmentseat portion to the rear for dressing, and a forwardly retractedposition in which said wing is pulled forwardly within the garment waistaway from the garment seat portion, and seat wing control means urgingthe seat wing to its rear position during dressing of the garment andduring movement of the garment support from dressing to pressingposition, said control means being operatively connected for movement ofthe seat wing to its retracted position when said steaming means isoperated and for holding the seat wing in retracted position thereafteruntil the garment support has returned from its pressing to its dressingposition and the garment has been removed.
 16. Pressing apparatusaccording to claim 15 in which said waist support has a movable flypositioning member supported thereon for movement between a forwardlyretracted loading position spaced in front of the front waist supportmember and a rear position in which the fly positioning member projectsrearwardly between said front waist support members, means selectivelyurging the fly positioning member to its rear position for holding thefront portions of a garment waist inwardly between the front waistsupport members with selected portions of a garment waist in desiredalignment with the front waist support members.
 17. Pressing apparatusaccording to claim 16 in which said means selectively urging the flypositioning member to its rear position includes an over-center togglespring connected to the fly positioning member at a location resilientlyholding said member in whichever of its loading and rear positions it ismanually positioned by an operator, auxiliary power means for providingadditional force urging the fly positioning member to its rear position,and control means operatively connected to said auxiliary power meansfor operating such power means when the garment support is in itspressing position.
 18. Pressing apparatus accorDing to claim 1 in whichsaid waist support includes a pair of laterally spaced front waistsupport members, around which the front waist portion of a garment is tobe supported, a forwardly and rearwardly movable rear waist supportmember around which the rear waist portion of a garment is to besupported. waist support motor means for urging the rear waist supportmember rearwardly and thereby tensioning the garment waist around saidfront and rear waist support members, and waist support control meansoperatively connected to the waist support motor means for tensioningthe waist throughout movement of the garment support from dressingposition to pressing position and back to dressing position. 19.Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 having cuff holding meansmounted on said garment support and comprising a vertically movable cuffholding assembly at each side of the center buck, said assembly havingresilient holding means for lightly clamping a trouser cuff to hold itin extended position along the side of the center buck, said cuffholding means supporting each cuff assembly for independent movementbetween a first upper loading position in which an operator canconveniently engage a trouser cuff with said resilient holding means, anintermediate holding position in which the cuff holding assembly holdsthe trouser cuff in dressed position, and a lower inoperative positionin which the assembly is fully withdrawn below the cuff.
 20. Pressingapparatus according to claim 19 including motor means for moving thepressing plates from their retracted position toward their pressingposition to an intermediate steaming position in which the pressingplates are spaced slightly from the sides of the center buck when thegarment support is in pressing position, means for steaming the garment,control means for starting operation of the steaming means after thepressing plates reach their intermediate position, first power means formoving said cuff assembly to its lower inoperative position and therebyforcibly disengaging the resilient cuff holding means from the cuff whensaid control means starts operation of the steaming means, second powermeans operatively connected for moving said cuff assembly from its lowerinoperative position to its upper loading position when the garmentsupport returns to its dressing position and the waist support moves toits upper loading position, and manually releasable latch means forretaining the cuff assembly in upper position.
 21. A pressing apparatusaccording to claim 1 in which the sides of said center buck includefluid passages, and said apparatus includes suction means for drawingair inwardly through said fluid passages and thereby holding thedownwardly extending trouser legs in dressed position against the sidesof the center buck, and suction control means for operating the suctionmeans during movement of the garment support between dressing andpressing positions.
 22. In a pressing apparatus, an improved trouserwaist support comprising left and right front trouser waist supportingmembers fixed to the support and spaced from each other at the front ofthe support and between which the fly portions of a pair of trousers maybe pushed, with such fly portions secured together in the way they arenormally worn, the front waist supporting members having respective leftand right front trouser engaging edges adapted to engage the inner frontportions of a trouser waist portion at desired points aligned with thedesired front creases of the trouser legs, a movable rear trouser waistsupporting member mounted on the waist support for longitudinal movementbetween a forward loading position in which the rear waist supportingmember is positioned toward the front waist support members at alocation permitting convenient mounting of a trouser waist portionaround the front and rear waist supporting members and a variable rearholding position in which the rear waist supporting member holds therear trouser waist portion during A pressing operation, power means forurging the rear waist supporting member rearwardly to hold the trouserwaist portion under tension around the front and rear waist supportingmembers, a front fly positioner mounted on the waist support formovement between a forward loading position in which it is spacedforwardly of the trouser fly portions and front waist supporting membersand a manually adjusted variable rear holding position in which the flypositioner and trouser fly portions are pushed rearwardly between thefront waist supporting members to a point which will vary with therelative dimensions of different trousers and which is adapted to pullthe rear trouser waist portion and rear waist supporting memberforwardly against the urging of the power means far enough to locate thesecured trouser fly portions between the front waist supporting membersat a position providing the desired front crease alignment for trousersof different waist dimensions during the pressing operation, and holdingmeans for holding the front fly positioner in its manually adjustedholding position and thereby also holding the rear waist portion andrear waist supporting member in their adjusted variable rear holdingposition against the rearward urging of said power means.
 23. A pressingapparatus according to claim 22 in which said holding means includesspring means for initially holding the front fly positioner in itsadjusted variable holding position.
 24. A pressing apparatus accordingto claim 23 in which the holding means for holding the front flypositioner also includes a first air cylinder and first piston, one ofwhich is operatively connected to the fly positioner to urge the flypositioner rearwardly in response to a predetermined first pressure inthe first cylinder and thereby firmly hold the fly positioner andtrouser fly portions in manually adjusted position during pressing, andthe power means for urging the rear waist supporting member rearwardlyincludes a second air cylinder and second piston, one of which isoperatively connected to the rear waist supporting member to urge itrearwardly in response to a predetermined second pressure in the secondcylinder, the relative forces applied to a trouser waist by said firstand second pressures balancing each other and holding the trouser waistunder smooth peripheral tension during pressing, without forcing thewaist or fly portions from their adjusted positions.
 25. In a pressingapparatus having a pressing plate movable along a desired path between apressing position and a retracted position, the improvement comprising amain supporting bearing on the pressing plate, a load-bearing supportingmember having one portion pivotally attached to the supporting bearingand thereby supporting the pressing plate for relative swinging movementwith respect to said supporting member on a pivotal axis parallel to theplane of the pressing plate, means supporting the supporting member formovement of said one portion and said pressing plate along said pathbetween pressing and retracted positions, at least one flexible guidecable attached to the pressing plate at a point spaced from thesupporting bearing and from said pivotal axis and extending along a lineof movement generally parallel to at least part of the path of movementof the plate and its supporting bearing, and cable control meanscontrolling the extent of relative movement of the cable along its lineof movement in predetermined relationship to the extent of relativemovement of the main supporting bearing along its path and therebyestablishing a desired orientation of the pressing plate during itsmovement along its path between retracted and pressing position.
 26. Apressing apparatus according to claim 25 having first and secondflexible guide cable portions, the first cable portion being attached tothe pressing plate at one side of said pivotal axis and the second cableportion being attached to the pressing plate at the other side of saidpivotal axis, a First rotatable cable control member for the first cableportion, a second rotatable cable control member for the second cableportion, and said cable control means including means interconnectingthe first and second rotatable cable control members for simultaneousmovement of the first and second guide cable portions and pressing platealong the path of movement between retracted and pressing positions. 27.A pressing apparatus according to claim 26 in which said first andsecond rotatable cable control members and said interconnecting meanscomprise first and second cable feeding drum portions interconnected forsimultaneous rotation through corresponding angles.
 28. A pressingapparatus according to claim 27 in which said first and secondcable-feeding drum portions have different diameters.
 29. A pressingapparatus according to claim 25 having first and second flexible guidecable portions, the first guide cable portion being attached to thepressing plate at one side of said pivotal axis and the second guidecable portion being attached to the pressing plate at the opposite sideof said pivotal axis, and said cable control means comprising a movablecable control member and means operatively connecting each flexibleguide cable portion to the movable control member for simultaneousmovement of both guide cable portions and the pressing plate in the samerelative direction along said path of movement.
 30. Pressing apparatusaccording to claim 29 including resilient means normally urging thecable control member in one direction in which the flexible guide cableportions and pressing plates are resiliently urged away from theirpressing position toward their retracted positions.
 31. In a pressingapparatus having a pressing plate movable along a desired path between apressing position and a retracted position, the improvement comprising amain supporting bearing on the pressing plate, a load-bearing supportingmember having one portion pivotally attached to the supporting bearingand thereby supporting the pressing plate for relative swinging movementwith respect to said supporting member on a pivotal axis parallel to theplane of the pressing plate, means supporting the supporting member formovement of said one portion and said pressing plate along said pathbetween pressing and retracted positions, at least one flexible guidecable having one portion attached to the pressing plate at a pointspaced from the supporting bearing and from said pivotal axis, anadjacent portion of the cable extending along a line of movementgenerally parallel to at least part of the path of movement of the plateand its supporting bearing a rotatable cable control member operativelyconnected to said cable and supported for rotation in one direction formovement of the cable and pressing plate along the path from pressing toretracted position, rotation of the cable control member in the oppositedirection providing for movement of the cable and pressing plate alongthe path from retracted to pressing position, and means controlling therelative rotation of the control member with reference to the movementof the main supporting bearing and thereby establishing a desiredorientation of the pressing plate during its movement along its pathbetween retracted and pressing positions.
 32. A pressing apparatusaccording to claim 31 in which said supporting member is a swinging armhaving a lower portion pivotally connected to the supporting bearing atsaid pivotal axis, and said means supporting the supporting member formovement includes a pivotal bearing portion having a second pivotal axisabove and parallel to such first-mentioned pivotal axis, said swingingarm also having an upper portion pivotally connected to the pivotalbearing portion of said means supporting the supporting member. 33.Pressing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means mounting thewaist support on the garment support comprises a pivotal connectiontherebetween having a first pivotal axiS extending generallyhorizontally, transversely of the path of movement of the garmentsupport, at a location on the garment support which is near an inner,upper edge of the center buck, and said waist support includes a movablewaist support member mounted thereon for back and forth movement along apath extending forwardly and rearwardly, i.e. inwardly and outwardly,above the center buck, said pressing apparatus also having moving meansfor said waist support member, said moving means comprising an actuatingarm having lower and upper ends, means pivotally supporting the lowerend of the actuating arm on the garment support for rotation of the armon a transverse axis parallel to and at a level below said first pivotalaxis, with the actuating arm extending upwardly and spaced rearwardlyfrom the position at which a garment is to be dressed on the waistsupport and center buck, a generally horizontally extending connectinglink having one end pivotally connected to the upper end of theactuating arm and another end pivotally connected to said waist supportmember, and motor means on the garment support operatively connected forswinging said actuating arm and thereby moving the waist support member,said actuating arm and connecting link providing a universal connectionbetween said motor means and waist support member for applying force tothe waist support member in both the upper loading position and thelower dressing and pressing position of the waist support.
 34. Pressingapparatus according to claim 33 in which the means pivotally supportingthe lower end of the actuating arm is a transversely extending rotatableshaft to which the actuating arm is fixed, and said power means includesa lever arm also fixed to said rotatable shaft, and an air motorcylinder member having a piston member therein, one of the cylinder andpiston members being supported on the garment support and the othermember being connected to the lever arm, the length of the actuating armbeing substantially greater than the length of the lever arm. 35.Pressing apparatus according to claim 34 having a second similaractuating arm and connecting link connected between the rotatable shaftand waist support member, with one such arm and link at each side of thecenter buck and waist support member for convenient clearance duringloading and dressing of a garment.